I've had this fabric in my stash for a long time (it waited patiently in a box of 'special fabrics' for 2 years while we were in Aus). I'm pretty sure it's an old curtain. It had some curtain tape type thing along one side. The rest of it acts like a heavy cotton or flexible linen.
I really enjoyed using this Maison Fleur pattern which I won recently. At the beginning the pattern runs through the sewing sequence in bullet points which means if you are an experienced sewist you could essentially just follow that. Other than that it’s very step by step, good explanations and illustrations. It’s a PDF pattern with layered options so you can just print the size you want.
This top was so quick and easy to throw together but includes good techniques like under stitching and the zip is inserted into the side seam running downwards.
My favourite feature of this pattern is the little shoulder flaps with buttons, view 2. Initially I thought the button flaps were on the front (which I definitely plan to do another time!). I let my 2 sick children – yes I was finishing this whilst dealing with 2 vomiting children! – choose the buttons from my button stash and they chose these lovely ones.
Full disclaimer – the flaps are actually supposed to have button holes and buttons but as they don’t need to open to get the top on and off I didn’t see the point of creating button holes through the layers of quite thick fabric – so I just sewed the button on through all the thicknesses.
I cut a straight size 14 – falling in between the 12 and 14 on the pattern measurements. In all I think I probably could have made the 12 I find it a really nice shape on and not clingy anywhere. I will definitely make this top again. As a more tailored top option it is so easy to make and very user friendly in terms of instructions and pieces.
Also, I love it much more than the 'poopy pants' (see my last post) I am wearing it with. So there's that too!
love you more than realising the potential of a 'precious' piece of fabric xxx
